NASA orders urgent spacewalk repairs at station

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press

Published
6:38 pm EST, Tuesday, December 17, 2013

FILE - This May 23, 2010 image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station with the Earth in the background. The image was photographed by an STS-132 crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, NASA decided to schedule a series of urgent spacewalks to fix a broken cooling line at the International Space Station. The first is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA) less

FILE - This May 23, 2010 image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station with the Earth in the background. The image was photographed by an STS-132 crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the ... more

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FILE - This May 23, 2010 image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station with the Earth in the background. The image was photographed by an STS-132 crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, NASA decided to schedule a series of urgent spacewalks to fix a broken cooling line at the International Space Station. The first is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/NASA) less

FILE - This May 23, 2010 image provided by NASA shows the International Space Station with the Earth in the background. The image was photographed by an STS-132 crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the ... more

NASA orders urgent spacewalk repairs at station

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA has ordered up a series of urgent spacewalks to fix a broken cooling line at the International Space Station.

Station managers decided Tuesday to send two American astronauts out as soon as possible to replace a pump that contains a bad valve. It's a big job that will require at least two or three spacewalks. The first is scheduled for Saturday.

The spacewalks are taking priority over the launch of a supply ship from Virginia. The delivery had been scheduled for this week, but is now delayed until January.

Half of the station's cooling system shut down last week. The six-man crew had to turn off nonessential equipment, including science experiments. While the astronauts are safe, NASA wants the system back up to full strength, in case of another failure.